Stencil and method for tattoo or cosmetic application

ABSTRACT

A stencil for applying tattoos or cosmetics to the body includes a stretchable membrane which includes an aperture of selected shape for confining application of the tattoos or cosmetics. A peripheral frame may be attached to the membrane and be adjustable in peripheral length and shape for altering the shape of the aperture formed within the membrane in response to the shape of the peripheral frame. At least a pair of stencils may be temporarily attached by a member of adjustable length for positioning left and right stencils on the body during application of tattoos or cosmetics to the body within the template area of the aperture.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to stencils or templates as aids to applying tattoos or cosmetics.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Contemporary make-up stencils for eyebrows or eyeliner or lips typically are not sufficiently flexible or expandable to permit stretching or flexing for altering the length or width or shape of the template area. Instead, a set of a few stencils of fixed shapes are employed to determine the pattern in which the permanent make-up is to be applied. Cutting and trimming of a fixed stencil to alter the template area may yield a desired stencil, but such fixed stencil does not accommodate stretching of skin around a template area to facilitate application of tattoos or cosmetics. In addition, such fixed stencils are not conducive to changing curves or lengths or width of template area, for example, for eyebrows or lips. And, such fixed stencils for eyebrows are further poorly suited for selecting the spacing between left and right brows in addition to selecting the thickness, arch, length, and the like of the template areas to accommodate the eye spacing and recess and facial shape of the recipient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a stencil for applying tattoos or cosmetics to a template area of a recipient's body includes a flexible peripheral frame that supports a flexible membrane which includes the stencil as an aperture in the membrane of a general or basic shape suitable for a particular area of the body such as eyebrows, lips, or the like. The peripheral frame may be shaped to stretch and otherwise alter the shape of the aperture, as desired.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a shapeable attachment between a pair of left and right brow stencils is adjustable to facilitate positioning of the brow stencils in accordance with spacing of a recipient's eyes. Such stencils may be retained on the head using a band attached about the head, or attached to hair near the temples, or adhesively attached to be retained in position during application of a tattoo or cosmetics.

In another embodiment of the present invention segments of a stencil are mounted for relative slidable movement to alter the resulting aperture of a template area. For example, hinged segments of a rigid material may be selectively manipulated to form an aperture in a desired shape to serve as a stencil during application of a tattoo or cosmetics within the boundary of the aperture. Alternatively, the stencils of various configurations in accordance with the present invention may include an adhesive membrane without peripheral frame for positioning and temporary attachment on the body. As used herein “cosmetics” includes conventional compositions for topical applications, or long-lasting skin dyes, or implantable pigments commonly associated with tattooing procedures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A, 1B are plan views of stencils of various shapes in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 2A, 2B are plan views of segments of a stencil of selected shape in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 3A, 3B are plan views of segments of a stencil of another selected shape in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 4A, 4B are plan views of segments of a stencil of another selected shape in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4C is a plan view of a stencil formed in a stretchable membrane without supporting peripheral frame in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of segmented stencil of selected-shape in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a segmented stencil of another selected shape in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a segmented stencil with shapeable frame in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a pictorial illustration of a pair of stencils attached by a member of variable length in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIGS. 1A, 1B, there are shown typical stencils in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention in which an outer peripheral frame 9 supports a flexible and pliable membrane 11 that is attached to the peripheral frame and that includes an aperture 13 in a general shape suitable for use on a selected portion of a body. The brow-shaped aperture 13 in FIG. 1A and the lips-shaped aperture 13 in FIG. 1B may be conveniently modified in widths and lengths and curvatures simply by reshaping the peripheral frame 9, thereby to stretch the membrane 11 in any direction about the aperture 13 to alter the shape thereof. The peripheral frame 9 attached to the membrane 11 may be formed as a wire structure of fixed perimeter length, or as a structure of corrugated wire or ribbon material that may be stretched or contracted in perimeter length, or as a set of plural number of peripheral segments 15 that are hinged 17 together to form in each embodiment a shapeable support for the membrane 11. Of course, adjacent segments 15 of a peripheral frame 9 may also be configured to slide together or telescope within each other to facilitate expansions and contractions of the peripheral frame 9 in order to provide a desired shape of the aperture 13 in the membrane 11 supported by the frame 9. The aperture 13 thus suitably shaped may be temporarily affixed to the body, for example, with contact adhesive to outline a template area within which permanent make-up may be applied. Of course, adhesive attachment to bodily skin of the flexible membrane 11 also facilitates stretching of the skin and attached membrane 11 as may be desired during application of tattoo or cosmetics to the skin within the template area of the aperture 13. It should be noted that the embodiments of peripheral frame 9 in accordance with the present invention including wire structure or corrugated material or hinged or telescoping segments all provide support for the membrane 11 and the aperture 13 therein of desired shape while attached to bodily skin during application of tattoo or cosmetics within the template area of the aperture. The membrane 11 may be formed of stretchable material such as silicone or latex rubber or other stretchable polymers. Alternatively, the membrane 11 of stretchable material may have initial self-sustaining shape without a peripheral frame 9, as illustrated in FIG. 4C. In this embodiment, the membrane 11 may be selectively stretched in length or width as desired in order to alter the template area 13 therein. The membrane 11 includes adhesive on one body-contacting surface for temporarily holding the membrane 11 on the body during application of a tattoo or cosmetics within the template area 13 of the membrane 11.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 a, 2 b and 3 a, 3 b, there are shown other embodiments of the present invention in which upper 19 and lower 21 portions of stencils for brows or lips are individually configured on peripheral frames 9 that may slide together and attach near the outer widths of the frame 9. In these embodiments of the present invention, separate upper and lower aperture shapes may be manipulated within supporting frames 9, as discussed above, and attached together in numerous combinations to form the apertures of desired template areas. Alternatively, the upper and lower portions 19, 21 of a stencil may be formed of non-stretchable material and mounted in fixed frames for slidable attachment, where desired. And, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A, 4B, portions 23, 25 of a stencil (e.g., for an eyebrow) may be segmented into left and right portions to facilitate forming selected lengths, arches shapes, and the like, from numerous combinations of left and right segments. As illustrated in FIG. 5, a stencil may include multiple end and central segments 27, 29, 31 including peripheral frames that slide together in numerous combinations of various aperture shapes to alter the width, length, arch, thickness, and the like, of the resulting template area 33. And, as illustrated in FIG. 6, such segmented stencil may also include a peripheral frame segments 37, 39 which slide together in upper and lower segments to stretch a common membrane 41 for expanding the width of the aperture 35.

In another embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in FIG. 7, a peripheral frame may be segmented and include both hinged 43 and sliding 45 attachments of segments, for example, to facilitate altering the arch and length of the aperture 47 formed in the stretchable membrane 49 that is supported by the peripheral frame.

Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown an embodiment of the present invention including a pair of eyebrow stencils of a type as previously described herein, for example, with respect to FIGS. 1A, 2A, 2B, 4A, 4B, 5-7, that are attached together by an expandable member 55. The member 55 may include a corrugated material or bowed wire structure, or the like, that can be selectively expanded or contracted to facilitate proper spacing and positioning of the stencils on a face relative to the spacing of eyes and facial shape. As selectively spaced apart and retained in relative spacing by the member 55, the pair of stencils 51, 53 may be temporarily retained in position on the face by adhesive or band around the head, or the like, during application of tattoo or cosmetics within the template area of each stencil.

In each of the embodiments of the present invention described and illustrated herein, the stencils thus formed may be prepared for single usage and disposed of once removed from adhesive attachment, or other form of attachment, on the applicable region of the body.

Therefore, stencils for applying tattoos or cosmetics to an area of the body may include an alterable aperture in a desired shape within a membrane that is supported by an adjustable peripheral frame, or that is temporarily adhesively attached to an area of the body in a desired stretchable shape. Multiple combinations of partial shapes of apertures may also be formed from segments of stencils that slide or otherwise attach together to facilitate selective shaping of upper or lower or left or right portions of the template area. 

1. A stencil for applying permanent make-up on a body, the stencil comprising: a membrane including an aperture therein forming at least a portion of a confining area of selected shape within which cosmetics may be applied to the body.
 2. The stencil of claim 1, including an adjustable peripheral frame attached about the membrane.
 3. The stencil of claim 2 in which the frame is adjustable in shape and the membrane attached hereto is stretchable to alter the shape of the aperture responsive to adjustment of the shape of the frame.
 4. The stencil of claim 3 in which the frame includes portions that are extendable in length to stretch the membrane attached thereto.
 5. The stencil of claim 3 in which the frame includes adjacent segments in hinged attachment for selectively adjusting the shape of the frame to alter the shape of the aperture in the stretchable membrane attached to segments of the frames.
 6. The stencil of claim 3, in which the membrane is formed of material including at least one of silicone rubber, latex rubber or stretchable polymer.
 7. The stencil as in claim 4 in which the frame surrounds the aperture.
 8. The stencil as in claim 5 in which the frame surrounds the aperture.
 9. The stencil of claim 2 in which the frame includes a plurality of segments that are relatively movable, each segment including a portion of the membrane attached thereto for forming a portion of the aperture.
 10. The stencil of claim 9 in which adjacent segments of the frame include hinged attachment and the portion of the membrane attached to one or more segments of the frame includes a portion of an aperture that is selectively shaped in response to relative movement of segments of the frame.
 11. The stencil of claim 10 including a set of a plural number of portions of the frame, each portion of the frame being selectively positionable relative to another portion of the frame for forming a complete aperture in portions of the membrane attached to the portions of frame.
 12. The stencil of claim 11 in which each of the portions of the frame slidably attached to another portion of the frame for assembling a set of the frame surrounding a complete aperture.
 13. The stencil of claim 11 in which the portions of membrane are non-stretchable.
 14. The stencil as in claim 11 in which the set includes at least a pair of portions of the frame forming one of upper and lower or left and right portions of a complete aperture formed by portions of membrane attached to each of the portions of frame.
 15. The stencil as in claim 2 including a set of left and right adjustable peripheral frames attached in adjustably spaced apart relationship.
 16. The stencil of claim 15 including a number of adjustable length attaching the left and right frames to form a composite stencil for temporary attachments on the body during application of permanent make-up thereto through the apertures formed within the left and right frames.
 17. The stencil according to claim 1 includes contact adhesive disposed at least about the aperture on a surface of the membrane disposed for temporary attachment to the body.
 18. A method of aiding application of cosmetics to a body using a stencil that includes a membrane including an aperture therein, the method comprising the steps for: selectively stretching the membrane to alter the shape of the aperture therein; temporarily affixing on the body at least a portion of the membrane surrounding the aperture; and applying cosmetics to the body within the area of the aperture.
 19. The method according to claim 18 in which the membrane includes a peripheral frame attached thereto and includes the step for: altering the shape of the frame to selectively stretch the membrane attached thereto for altering the shape of the aperture.
 20. The method according to claim 19 in which altering the shape of the frame includes slidably attaching plural segments of the frame to form a complete aperture in portions of membrane supported by each segment of frame.
 21. The method according to claim 18 in which affixing on the body at least a portion of the membrane includes adhesively attaching regions about the aperture to the body. 